...Rachel Pilkinton Mrs. Dierks English Composition 2 January 21, 2012 Dream or Reality? Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, “Young Goodman Brown”, is set during the Salem witch hunts and trials in the Salem Village. The true evil of this time, I believe, is not the people accused of being witches, but the accusers, the “witch hunters”, and the people who murdered innocent people for heresay, are the true evil of this time. I believe the story itself is all a dream, a dream that represents an actual reality; a reality that shows what is thought to be good is actually evil. Young Goodman Brown, like his grandfather and father, hunted what they thought was evil, like witches, Indians, medicine men, shamans, etc. He believed the work he was doing was for the good. I believe this is a dream showing Goodman Brown that the work that he , his family, and his fellow towns people are and have done in the name of God, may in fact be the work of the Devil, maybe the line between good and evil is blurring a little for Young Goodman Brown: when he arrives deep in the forest, he sees all the people in his life that represents good: his revered pastor, the good ole Deacon Gookin, Goody Cloyse; the old woman that taught him his catechism( the principles of Christianity), and still to this day, his spiritual guide, he even thought he saw his dead father, his mother, and all the people he believed to be the most holiest of people gathered and...
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...In the story Young Goodman Brown, the two major characters are Young Goodman Brown and Faith, who are married. They have been married for three months now and they seem to be in love. Faith is Goodman Brown’s soul –mate. She is getting used to being married and enjoying life. Her life seems to be going her way most of the time and she is just getting her life stated. Goodman Brown treats her like she is his world. He adores her and loves her innocence, purity, and young side of her. Young Goodman Brown is not exactly a hero. I believe he is trying to find himself in the story but I would not consider him to be a hero. Why you may ask? Well he sided with evil. He took the chance of disobeying the people he cared about and went against his religion. But, in some ways the way he found out who the people around him (his loved ones and his close friends) were. The truth was unveiled but only he could see it and by doing this he was a hero. He was a hero because he saw the truth and kept it as a burden in his life. He was forever changed. He was a hero for accepting the truth and moving on. One symbol in the story was the ‘traveler’s staff’. It was in some ways a serpent coming to tempt Young Goodman Brown. It showed that he was not strong enough to refuse the temptations of the devil. The serpent is used in many other stories to symbolize evil, such as Adam and Eve or even the Disney story of Aladdin. As you can see the serpent is used as a symbol of evil or the devil. Also...
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...Introduction "Young Goodman Brown" tells the tale of a young Puritan man drawn into a covenant with the Devil. Brown's illusions about the goodness of his society are crushed when he discovers that many of his fellow townspeople, including religious leaders and his wife, are attending a Black Mass. At the end of the story, it is not clear whether Brown's experience was nightmare or reality, but the results are nonetheless the same. Brown is unable to forgive the possibility of evil in his loved ones and as a result spends the rest of his life in desperate loneliness and gloom. Though a work of fiction, "Young Goodman Brown'' is widely considered to be one of the most effective literary works to address the hysteria surrounding the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Hawthorne is also remembered for helping to establish the short story as a respected form of literature and as a proponent of instilling morals and lessons into his writing. Source: Short Stories for Students, ©2012 Gale Cengage. "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne chronicles the disturbing dream of a young Puritan man in Salem. In the dream, Goodman Brown comes face to face with evil and is forced to examine the nature of evil in man. He is disgusted by the evil he encounters, not realizing his own involvement. Through a psychoanalytic approach to analyzing the text, the reader can see that the meaning of the text lies in discovering the meaning of Goodman Brown's encounter in the woods. The story begins...
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...Good Men “My love and my faith”, replied young Goodman Brown, “of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee” (Hawthorne 158). Hawthorne gives a very small and at first unnoticed hint in one of the very first sentences. Although undersized, the hint is showing a bigger picture, and underlines how the rest of his story will unfold. Since the story is filled with so much controversy surrounding Faith, and the loss of the one thing a man needs most, it’s a very effectively utilized allegory. Deception, corruption, and sheer hate cause complete and utter destruction, which is what Young Goodman Brown found himself bound by. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story is not just another problematic tale that gets your mind ruminating. With all of the detailed symbols and metaphors used by Hawthorne, it takes time to see that his story has significant ties to several Biblical narratives. It embodies the chronicles of mans fall, and his separation from God and faith. This story bleeds symbolism, even the most clear cut things like Young Goodman Brown’s name has a meaning behind it. Hawthorne didn’t just use any old name, he put meaning behind it. Young Goodman Brown symbolizes youth and good nature. Brown is a young man throughout the story, and his youth suggests that he has yet to be corrupted by the world and is still innocent. Browns wife Faith undoubtedly symbolizes actual faith in God; just as God is with us, during Browns journey in the forest she was with him. She...
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...Consider the significance of the names of the title character and his wife. How are the names symbolic? Young Goodman Brown and his wife Faith, have both symbolic names. Brown's name symbolizes youth and the good nature of humankind. Brown character is a "young man" in the story, and his youth suggests that he is still naive and innocent and he can easily be corrupted by the evil in the world. Faith's name, as Hawthorne wrote, "Faith, as the wife was aptly named", commend that Brown's wife symbolizes the hope and the innocence found in a young wife. Brown's faith in the goodness in life is symbolized through his marriage to Faith. Faith symbolize, hope and the absolute confidence in the goodness in the world, the honest and truthful belief in something. 2. List what you think each of these symbols stands for: the woods (setting), the time of day, Faith's pink ribbons, the Traveler's staff. The woods can be Brown's own mind, a place created by his subconscious, dark as the forest, where he questions his truths, his love for faith, and his beliefs on human kind. It is simply fascinating, how the forest closes behind him, taking from him the option of going back to his beliefs, once he had become unsure about them. The forest can also be the place, not where he questions but face the truth. We all tend to try to embellish the world around us, so that it meets our needs. Brown may find himself in a conflict between the idealized world he once idealized, and the world obscure...
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...ENC 1102 Final Exam Essay Years from today the piece “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne will most likely still be clear in my mind. This story is about one Puritan man who struggles internally with reality vs. imaginary and good vs. evil in an era and society that was so religious-oriented. It makes you wonder about hypocrisy that still goes on today. It’s no wonder “Young Goodman Brown” is considered a classic and with good reason too. The story contained symbolism, irony, and allusion. Its main theme could still be applied to issues in the modern day world. “Young Goodman Brown” takes place in a New England town during the 17th Century, a time when Puritan beliefs where still very much in practice. In the beginning of the story Brown is already burdened with guilt at the fact that he has lied to his wife, “Faith”, about going to a secret meeting in the woods. Faith, is not just a name, but is symbolic for what Brown is struggling to hold on to throughout the story. Her pink ribbon signifies innocence which can still be spared and she pleads him to stay. It’s ironic that Brown constantly tells himself he’ll turn back yet he never does. Brown is tempted and stunned by the sight of supposedly “pure” and well respected members of his town and of the church. Let’s not forget the mysterious old man that guides Brown through the woods. If you can remember Brown recalls seeing a snake that turns into a walking cane. I guess you could say this is a biblical allusion to...
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...Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown embarks on a spiritual journey as he leaves his wife faith behind, she prays for him to be safe. Goodman Brown feels bad for leaving his wife in such a short notice but he insists for he must go to save his faith from evil. They have only been married a few months but he loved his wife dearly. The road that Brown had taken was dark and very lifeless there was not a sole insight. Brown started to image things his mind was playing tricks on him, he constantly kept looking behind him to see if anyone was following him. Brown said to himself “What if the Devil himself be at my very elbow”. As Young Goodman Brown approaches an old tree there was a man seating down by the tree, it was Goodman’s companion he has been waiting for Goodman so they can continue their journey through the woods. The traveler was about Goodman’s height and almost the same in size they also had some resemblance to each other. The traveler walked with a staff that resembled a big black snake. Goodman Brown companion is a friend of the family and fought in Kings Phillips War with Goodman’s grandfather. Brown states he never heard of such tales and told his traveling companion that “we are people of prayer and of good works” says Brown. As they continued on into the forest the run into an old women that Goodman recognizes her name was Goody Cloyse. She was a well respected woman from the village. Brown didn’t want Goody to see him with his companion so brown cut through...
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...Young Goodman Brown After the experience that Goodman faced in the forest, it is completely difficult for a human being to regain a positive outlook on the world once again. Goodman had trusted everybody in the village including his late parents, his wife and the other respected leaders and members of the society such as deacons. He knew that the pious leaders were doing their job and that each one on the right track. Similarly, he knew that even though his parents had passed earlier on, they had died as staunch Christians who feared God. His wife, Faith, had also been committed to the Christian world, and there was no point of doubting her at any instance. Nevertheless, things turned out to be the opposite when Goodman had an adventure in the forest, the people in the society whom he had trusted to be faithful and an icon to the rest of the people turned out to be evil. For instance, Cloyse was a pious member and a deacon member that the community respected. As such, Goodman was surprised to find out that she was indeed a witch and a devilworshipper. On the same note, when Goodman decided to continue with his journey despite the challenges, he was surprised to find even more members of his village in the ceremony. While on his way to the ceremony, Goodman is surprised to hear the voices of some of the deacons and ministers of his church at Salem including Deacon Gookin. For this reason, he points out “There is no good on earth, and sin is but a name." This means that everybody...
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...Essay #2 Interpretations of Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story of Young Goodman Brown is a story of an impressionable and curious young man who ventured into the forest in Salem, Massachusetts to witness the witches Sabbath. Brown leaves his young bride Faith against her wishes to go on this journey, feeling some guilt as he walked away from her, “Poor little Faith!” thought he, for his heart smote him. “What a wretch am I, to leave her on such an errand!” (Hawthorne 606). Once in the forest Brown meets the Devil. As Brown and the Devil continue their walk through the woods the Devil tells him stories of his own Father and Grandfather walking this same dark path that Young Goodman Brown has taken. “Good goodman Brown! I have been as well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; that’s no trifle to say” (Hawthorne 607). Goodman Brown enters the woods and has many ghostly and confusing experiences that changed his life forever. Brown wasn’t sure when he awoke in the woods if his experience was a dream or if it really happened however; the events that he witnessed changed his life forever. “Be it so if you will. But alas! It was a dream of evil omen for the young goodman Brown. A stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man, did he become, from the night of that fearful dream”. (Hawthorne 614). Michael Tritt wrote his interpretation of the Hawthorne’s story, “Young Goodman Brown” and The Psychology of Projection...
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...A Deeper Look into the Soul of Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown is a very well developed character for appearing in a short story making him a round and dynamic character. He is a young, white man living in Puritan times in Salem, North Carolina during the Salem Witch Trials. Although he falls from grace at the end of the story, Brown is a very religious man. He is very trusting of others, and he is very much in love with his young wife, Faith. As author Arthur E. Robinson points out, “Young Goodman Brown” is clearly ironic in its continued stress upon the protagonist’s title. Similarly the name Faith, given to Brown’s wife, is played upon in such statements as “Faith kept me back a while” and “My Faith is gone.” Nor is it coincidence that Brown and his wife are subjects of a common irony.” She is what keeps him held to his beliefs for so long through the woods. Throughout the story he is led to believe that the innocent and peaceful world around him is full of lies and deceit. The stranger in the woods leads him astray from the Christian roots of his family. It is said that the devil comes to people is many forms. In this case, he comes to Brown in the familiar form of his father. This misleading disguise made the words he spoke much easier to believe although Brown knew that the man he walked with was not his father. In the beginning, Brown believed strongly in the goodness of those in his community such as Goody Cloyse and Deacon Gookin until the “devil” shows...
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...Evil Comes in Many Forms "Young Goodman Brown", written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and "The Rocking Horse Winner", by D.H. Lawrence, share a similar theme as both protagonists are young men finding themselves in unscrupulous situations. While Young Goodman Brown is being impacted by what appears to be an overwhelming fear of sin itself, Paul is facing issues of pride, greed, acceptance, and love; they are both fighting a common enemy, moral corruption. While Brown had and that was fairly recognizable, Paul had an adversary one would not normally expect. In the story of “Young Goodman Brown” the main character Goodman Brown is faced with a decision as to whether or not to join the legion of evil doers in his Puritan community. He comes face to face with the devil himself once he enters a forest. The devil does not hesitate to let Brown know that he has been waiting for him and begins encouraging him to leave the life he knows and become one who will recognize all sin. Goodman Brown is under the assumption that those around him are innocent and pure because they attend church and share his same religious convictions. Once he leaves his home and wife, Faith for the night to venture into the forest, he soon realizes that all those good and kind hearted people he has known his entire life are associates of the devil. Satan has been waiting patiently for Goodman Brown to join him and once Brown enters the forest he uses the relationships Brown has with those in his community...
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...Abstract Young Goodman Brown portrays a common disaster a young Christian experiences when he/she allows him/her self to stray from the familiar paths prescribed by the Bible and other mature Christians. The journey of Goodman Brown parallels many who have attempted to walk the Christian path and somehow strayed into dangerous territory. The story is about a young man named Goodman Brown who goes on an errand of evil intent taken place in the darkness of a forest. Upon arriving, brown encounters another traveler who is revealed to be the devil. The devil employs cunning tactics that compel the young Christian to abandon his faith and returns to live out the rest of his life without hope and in despair. Being aware of some of the tactics the devil uses to deceive young believers would help others to stick to the familiar paths. The story contains elements of some tactics the devil uses to deceive young, and sometimes even old, Christians. It does not help that the character in the story, Brown, is somewhat enticed by the devil’s suggestions or illusions (the text does not disclose whether or not the people that where encountered on the journey were the actually people themselves). Browns curiosity of evil is likened to any person’s sinful curiosities and each person must choose to either take the advice from others that some sinful behavior leads to destruction or there are some who find that they must experience sin for themselves. Two factors indicate...
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...Young Goodman Brown and the Lottery Symbolism Use In: "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Lottery" The authors, Shirley Jackson and Nathaniel Hawthorne, both frequently use symbols within their stories "The Lottery" and "Young Goodman Brown." Symbols are utilized as an enhancement tool to stress the theme of each story. Hawthorne uses names and objects to enhance the theme, and Jackson mainly utilizes names to stress the theme, although she does have one object as a symbol of great importance to the theme. The stories both contain symbols describing evil. The majority of Hawthorne's symbols describe religion (both good and evil), but Jackson’s symbols reflect the evil nature within society as a whole. There exists a symbolic act in each story. The short stories both share the use of symbols, but the symbols are used to express different thoughts in ones mind while reading them. The stories "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Lottery" both use names as symbols. Hawthorne uses the names Young Goodman Brown and Faith to portray nice, descent people. The name Faith alone implies a faithful and Christian individual as stated "And Faith, as the wife was aptly named," (211). Jackson uses the name Mr Graves throughout her story; he is the coordinator of the lottery. She needs not give any explanation to the name, as it speaks for itself (a symbol of death). Various other names are used as symbols within each story; however, these mentioned are the most significant names to the theme. The stories...
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...Analysis on “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne There has been much speculation and analysis on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown.” Each and every one has their own opinions about what Hawthorne really meant about this short story, but of course you can tell by their accreditation which source is more likely to be accurate. In “Young Goodman Brown”, the main character, Goodman Brown, experiences a life changing revelation at the beginning of this short story. The experience is a walk through the woods, something that he states his father and father’s father embarked on. This particular journey shapes his life and changes him forever. What is particularly peculiar about this journey is that it goes through the woods at night. And during this time period if you were caught in the woods at night you were considered a Satan worshiper, doing the Devil’s brood, or practicing witchcraft, which meant all the same things during this era. We know Young Goodman Brown is a Puritan based on his belief system, so this experience isn’t one he is looking forward to, but he knows he has to do it. Kind of like getting a shot, you know you have to do it, and it’s good for you, but you are hesitant about doing it. So along the journey he meets with a man that looks similar to him, but older. The man is kind of dark and shady, and he carries a staff that looks like a serpent. So the symbolism there represents that this man is the Devil. Throughout the duration of his journey...
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...times of temptation and sin. In the story "Young Goodman Brown," symbolism can be found in Young Goodman Brown by the way he acts on the path with the devil and also in his wife, Faith in her name and pink ribbons. Young Goodman brown symbolizes more than one thing. He symbolizes good men, the battle between faith and temptation, and morality. This is shown when he goes into the woods and the whole - time regrets leaving his faith and thinks of turning back. After all of this happened and the "dream" is over, he is never the same and sees all of the sin in people around him until the day he died. The story states," They carved no hopeful verse on his tombstone for his dying hour was...
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